Review, discussion, and summary: toxicology

Journal Article · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.8979191· OSTI ID:6071413

Graham, J A

The research presented in the toxicology session of the Symposium on the Health Effects of Acid Aerosols significantly advances our understanding of the health effects of acid aerosols and clearly illustrates the importance of animal inhalation toxicology to risk assessment. The description of the effects of acid on airway mucus buffering capacity and viscosity helps explain some of the mechanisms responsible for the effects of sulfuric acid on mucociliary clearance and pulmonary function observed in man and animals. Several of the papers illustrate that other pollutants interact with sulfuric acid (H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/), causing concern about exposure risks and helping in elucidating the effects observed in epidemiology studies that have not yet been duplicated in a laboratory. For example, H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ absorbed in zinc oxide (ZnO) particles appears to be about a log more potent than H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ alone in causing pulmonary function decrements. Low levels of H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ and O/sub 3/ were found to be synergistic in increasing collagen synthesis, implying a risk in development of lung fibrosis. More complex mixtures containing H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ cause a variety of interactions, depending upon the end points examined and the chemistry of the mixture. Other reports indicate that dose rate and length of exposure issues are critical to toxicological outcomes. Animal data on mucociliary clearance, which parallels that of human data, was extended to show that concentration of exposure was more important than time of exposure in eliciting a response, although time played a significant role. A recent chronic study showed that H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ caused effects that also can occur in the development of chronic bronchitis.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6071413
• Journal Information: Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States) Vol. 79; ISSN EVHPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACID RAIN
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
ANIMALS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BODY
CHALCOGENIDES
CLEARANCE
COLLOIDS
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
EXCRETION
FIBROSIS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INHALATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
INTAKE
LUNG CLEARANCE
LUNGS
MAMMALS
MAN
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
POLLUTION
PRIMATES
RAIN
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
RISK ASSESSMENT
SOLS
SULFURIC ACID
SYNERGISM
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES